Eanes, like so many districts, has a problem with gender ideology. It’s infecting the District.
Seven data points.
1. The DEI consultant’s survey.
The DEI consultant sent out a survey to all District employees. His first question:
“What is your gender?
Male
Female
Non-binary
Fill in the blank”
The Eanes School Board did not prevent their DEI guy from subjecting the District’s employees to the woke ideology that underlies this question. They didn’t fire him or even rebuke him. Worse than just indicating the School Board’s acceptance, it shows that School Board has no problem forcing District employees to the endure the politics of gender ideology.
(Incidentally, were I asked to fill out this survey, I’d give the same answer I do if asked my pronouns: “Screw your question and screw your survey. This question is based on a destabilizing, unscientific woke ideology that is no more credible than astrology or phrenology. I will not participate.”)
2. Eanes4Equity.
The Svengali influencers at the head of Eanes4Equity whisper in the ears of the School Board. And they’re all in on promoting gender ideology in the District. Here’s the E4E Instagram page from a day in October:
I get that some of the E4E influencers may be dealing with trans issues in their own circles. Fine. Teach your kids whatever you want. Teach your own kids scientology? Fine. Astrology? Fine. Phrenology? Fine. Teach your own kids wackadoodle, anti-science ideas about sex and gender? Again, that’s your business. But do not bring it into classrooms.
3. Explicit plans to expand.
The Eanes superintendent and the consultant have indicated that infusing the district with race-based identity politics was just the beginning. They have big plans to expand the DEI push. If you think this is all going to blow over, think again. They have explicitly said that they will not stop. And, odds are good, the next push will be more gender ideology. (Click both links to see their own words.)
[Edited on 4/11/22 to add #4.]
4. Chief Instructional Officer has indicated there may be plans to expand.
In March 2021, a teacher shared with a fourth-grade class (or 2 teachers & 2 classes) the children’s book Call Me Max. In the book, the main character is a girl who thinks she’s a boy. Because she likes climbing trees and catching bugs, she feels like a boy. It is a book about the ideology of transgenderism, an ideology that can’t be proven. It’s just the author’s random made-up metaphysical take about the connection between the mind and the body.
Understandably, parents objected. The principal contacted the district office. District responded. In an email sent to parents, the Eanes Chief Learning Officer assured parents that no one from district administration had suggested or approved the book.
But these words in her email are her most telling: “In time, the subject of gender identity may be addressed instructionally . . . .” Notably, she never said it was improper for a school district to teach about gender identity; instead, she simply emphasized the importance of choosing age-appropriate material. Nowhere in her letter did she say we will never teach your child that a child can be born in the wrong body or that a girl who “feels like a boy” is a boy.
So the Eanes Chief Learning Officer believes that Eanes may teach about gender identity. Given that the School Board is currently in the process of embedding DEI instruction across the curriculum, it’s reasonable to believe that instruction in gender identity will be included.
This is reinforced by Superintendent Leonard’s reaction to the reading of the book. When asked about the book situation, he “acknowledged there are transgender students in his schools and said the district is invested in diversity, equity and inclusion, but hasn’t adopted a curriculum for it yet.”
Yet.
[Edited on 3/6/22 to add #5.]
5. Pronouns in Twitter bio.
At least one current Eanes School Board member has pronouns in his Twitter bio. This demonstrates an acceptance of a regressive and political gender ideology that should not be promoted by members of the Board.
As Andrew Doyle explains, declaring pronouns makes an illiberal political statement:
“[Declaring pronouns] creates a false impression that gender identity ideology is the norm even though it is a belief system shared by relatively few. Most importantly, compelled speech is a fundamentally illiberal prospect, one that should always be resisted by all.”
[Edited on 5/27/22 to add #6.]
6. DEI consultant already training staff about gender identity.
Did you know that the DEI consultant has already begun training Eanes staff about gender identity? In the spring of 2021, he trained both the Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment admin staff (2 hours, $4000) and Valley View Elementary staff (2 hours, $4000).
Makes you wonder what he’s teaching these staff members. But according to Aaron Silva (in this podcast with school-board member Ellen Balthazar), the DEI guy won’t share his materials. The materials are “proprietary.”
It’s another example of the School Board implementing ideology without being transparent with the community.
BONUS #7: Westlake’s UPenn transgender swimmer.
You know the transgender UPenn swimmer Lia Thomas? The one who broke records at the women’s swim meet a few weeks ago? The swimmer, once known as Will Thomas, is former star member of the Westlake High School boys’ swim team.